Thursday, December 21, 2006

Tomorrow's the day we've been waiting for. Not only isRoxanne St. Claire here Fri Dec 22 to start the holidays right with "Christmas and Clooney," but she's offering one lucky commenting Bella a signed copy of her Dec release, PLUS a SET of Clooney DVDs, "Oceans Eleven" and "Oceans Twelve!"

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If I seem cranky today, it's cause I am.

We just had that great chat yesterday with Jenna Petersen, deciding whether we're all about the h's or the hn's. Fine. Good. But let me tell you what I like best, cause a) I was buried yesterday and couldn't join in your fun (which peeves me), and, 2. It's my blog, so you should know this about me:

I like heroes. Unfeeling jerks -- bastards, really -- who in all ways are larger-than-life, are egocentric, privileged, and powerful, and who do mortifyingly abusive things to the women with whom they're falling in love.

I don't care if they're irredeemable through much of the novel. What I do care about is whether the author can convince me it makes sense that they're idiots, and that the women they're treating like crap are gonna wreak big, fat emotional havoc over the guys' boneheads before the epilogue. And I do like me some epilogue -- or final chapter alluding to the promise of Contentment Ever After, if you want to get all artsy.

Brenda Joyce writes some of my favorite Old School-type romances. She's not afraid to write a jerky bastard, and one of her best is Devlin O'Neill of "The Prize,"(read my Old Flames review) book 4 in her deWarrenne Dynasty series. The series has it all, medievals, Regencies, lusty high-seas hijinx, and heroes who fall in love once, and for ever.

I just finished "A Lady at Last," and loved it. Joyce manages to make Cliff deWarrene a total jerk, but also moral and honorable, and, a stunning mess of emotion beneath his gentleman privateer exterior.

So, I'm stakin my claim to the Bastard Hero. Yeah. And on top of all that, it's been ages since we've had some wet guy photos -- ANY hot, barely clad guy photos for that matter -- so I'm giving you some alpha Canna, cause I knows what's good for my Bellas.

Happy flippin holiday rush.

Are you all about the Bastard Hero? Why/why not?

Contest!!! I believe Canna's trying to tell me something (because it's all about me, isn't it?). Whomever comes up with the best Canna quote for this pic wins a copy of JacquelynFrank's "Jacob." ***

Encore! Jenna P Winners:brownone, you win the copy of Jenna Petersen's "From London with Love," and flip you've scored the copy of "Desire Never Dies." Email me your snail mail w/ Jenna P in the sub line @ romance@ibsys.com.

Encore due!Grazie, grazie Jenna Petersen for yesterday's terrif GuestBlog. You were as gracious then as I am cranky today. You are welcome back any time! I, however, may find myself banned from my own blog today if I don't perk up.

56 comments:

Oooo, I missed yesterday's talk, but I'm getting in on the ground floor today. LOL!

I don't love a bastard hero, unless I really get why he's such a jerk. And he MUST repent/grovel! I can’t respect a heroine who simply “forgives” his ass-hat behavior because she “understands” it. Ugh. What I really like are the strong silent types, who I think get written off (incorrectly) as beta heroes. A real alpha, IMO, doesn’t have to brag about it, or act like a psychopath to get his butchness across.

What I love most is an alpha brought to his knees by an alpha-heroine. Strong women. Smart women. Proud women. No namby-pamby delicate flowers.

Can you all hear that old duet: Anything you can do I can do better . . . LOL!

Hooo, Mama! I'm with you girl. Just finished A Lady at Last yesterday, and I do love, love Brenda Joyce and her de Warenne Dynasty series. You just know the bastard, jerky hero is the one who's gonna fall the hardest - love it - and like the de Warenne family, each loves only once and forever.

I also love the Alpha male...You have to love a hero suffering from testerone poisoning. Joyce writes great bastards as does Linda Howard. I think my all time favorite writer for the bastard hero is Anne Stuart. How can anyone resist a hero who has the heroine trying to poison him in the very first scene of the book?

Well I'm happy to hear that you guys love the de Warenne Dynasty series books. I just got some them for Christmas (we exchanged gifts this past weekend. I really want to wait until I have them all to read them in order. So far I have The Prize, The Masquerade and The Stolen Bride. I'll have to check my shelves to see if I have any of the others.

Well, we all know where I'm coming down. I love me some bastard hero! I'm with Michelle, I love when they just act like unmitigated jack*sses the whole book and then realize the wrongness of their ways.

I can't believe I've never read anything by Brenda Joyce, clearly I need to pick up this series! What's the first book?

I finished JACOB last night (so Michelle, of course, no need to put my name in the contest). I enjoyed it quite a bit. He's one of my favorite kinds of heroes. All angsty with the amount of responsibility he has, and so alone with it. And wow, the love scenes were pretty scorching! I hope whoever wins it enjoys the book!

Michelle, Bella, what can we do to make you happier? I'm sorry you're havin' a day, that's no fun. Cheer up Bella, we love you! MUAH!

I have to agree with kalen on the bastard hero. there had better be a really, really good reason to be one, otherwise, I still can't forgive or forget!!

As to the holiday rush- i had everything done, wrapped and ready. Hubby calls yesterday and asks if i got anything for the guys in his office. I made him take me to dinner and then the liquor store. Me-1 Hubbyy-0

Hey Michelle,So sorry it's a "flippin'" kind of day. It's okay. It's normal. It's "Twas the arsenic-moment before Christmas" (comes slightly before the 'night before'). A little wine, a little kiss, a little hug or two from the wee ones, coupla prayers -- and you could distract yourself with a "hold of on the snow for one more day so a plane can land in Minnesota" dance - that would be great. (Cuz it's really all about me ...)

As for heroes - sorry, no time in my life (reading or real) for the bastards. Egotists and jerks can be trained by someone else, thanks all the same. Let me at the truly kind heart (even wrapped in a bad boy exterior). The one who will die for the heroine even if he doesn't like the idea at first. And give me the heroine who NEEDS this guy - even though she can very well stand on her own two feet without him if she must.

'K, nuff of that - mostly it's all about getting you through the pre-holidays without the arsenic!! And you always have those of us who love you, love you, love you - no matter how "flippin'" the day.

Oh my gosh! It's Dave! We've heard so much about you and every single word was good, good, good. Wasn't it, girls? Uh... girls? WASN'T every word Michelle said about him good? Ev? MaryKate? Vivi? Come back here right now!

OMG! Michelle said so but I wasn't convinced. Dave really *DOES* read the blog. *gasp*

Umm... Hi, Dave! What I said about Canna and Michelle was purely my imagination. She had no prior knowledge about it. Honest. (shhhh. Michelle, we'll talk later. After dh goes to bed. :oP)

BTW, I think our Queenie needs to be treated like one by her king. A foot massage. Glass of wine. A good book (I hear she has a very good ARC lying around called Lover Revealed that she hasn't torn into yet). But above all; Quiet time. Ahhh, that is the recipe for peace of mind.

"Alright. The Bellas can take one more day to drool but after that it's gonna cost you. I'm talking kisses, massages, etc. You name it but NO MORE STARING. You have no idea how this "all looking and no touching" is effecting me."

"I canna see what all the fuss is about. I'm just like everybody else... Where are the peeled apples I requested during this interview? I specifically told my assistant's secretary that I wanted peeled and sliced apples on set during this photo shoot."

Michelle-- I wanted to tell you that I got KMM's "Dark Fever" in the mail today. I can't wait to start reading it. I do so love her...I'm in the middle of "Miracle in the Mist" by Elizabeth Sinclair. Has anyone read it? It was a rec by Amazon because I'd purchased "Hot Water" through them. It's a contemp with a dash of para thrown in. So far, I'm enjoying it. It's an easy read and after the last book I'd read dated 1983, I really needed a good one...

I read "Miracle in the Mist" when it came out and loved it! I was reminded of the movie "Brigadoon." I've read all of her other books too. I have her most recent SIM called "Baptism in Fire" in my TBR pile.

Hi, Bellas! How cool of you to cheer me up! I've been laughing like crazy reading your Canna quotes, some of my faves being:

"Does this underwear make my butt look big?"

"Michelle, you've been a naughty bitch, haven't you? You get your pretty little ass over here so I can spank it."

"I have Michelle scheduled at 3:30pm. Julie's at 6pm. I'm trying to get Joaquin on the line for a sammich with Vivi at 10:30pm and..."

"I saw Mommy Kissing Canna Claus underneath the mistletoe..."

"Does this underwear make my butt look big?"

"I don't know if I can autograph it, but perhaps I can initial it."

But I must say, the Canna quote that would make me happiest right now -- and shows she was definitely paying attn durin gHot Topic Week -- would be Vivi's: "Michelle, you've been a naughty bitch, haven't you? You get your pretty little ass over here so I can spank it."

Sigh. If only men were so sweet in real life.

So Vivs, you win the copy of "Jacob," and the rest of you Bellas win my undying gratitude for being the best bunch of e-friends a girl could want. Please let me know when I can return the favor, and I'll try to cheer you up as well as you did me. :)

NOW, about the jerky Bastard Heroes. Glad you fans of the Bastard Boys checked in, and also, thanks those of you who explained why you ain't so hepped on em. I agree that I wouldn't want it in real life, but the angsty appeal of the guy on the pages works for me on a very elemental level. And I think the point kalen makes about the Beta Boy is a good one. Quiet strength is sexy, but a guy who lets a kick-ass heroine -- or a regular ol heroine -- walk all over him is as unappealing as the TSTL wench or the milquetoast miss.

See everyone tomorrow for the much-anticipated Rocki St. Claire Christmas and Clooney GuestBlog!